Sunday June 30 OVERREACHING AT THE GUGGENHEIM: The Guggenheim, that beacon of expansionist artistic fervor, is in trouble. Staff layoffs, cancelled exhibitions, and general fiscal chaos have combined to tarnish the reputation of director Thomas Krens, who has been considered an essential innovator for years. With some in the arts world calling for Krens’s resignation, … Continue reading “Visual: June 2002”
Sunday June 30 REPLACING GORDON: With the news that Gordon Davidson, the dean of Los Angeles theatre, will be leaving his post at the Mark Taper Forum, the city’s theatrical community has been thrown into a bout of “institutional soul-searching.” It’s not that anyone thinks that L.A.theatre won’t go on without the influential Davidson – … Continue reading “Theatre: June 2002”
Friday May 31 BROADWAY DOWN: After a decade of solid gains, Broadway saw a decline in business for the season just ended. “The total taken for the entire season stood at $642.5m (£438m), $22.9m less than in the previous year. The year 2000-1, by contrast, had seen a big yearly increase of 10.4%. The number … Continue reading “Theatre: May 2002”
Tuesday April 30 BRITISH MUSEUM TO CUT 150: Because of budget problems, the British Museum is cutting 150 workers. ” It is hoped that the job losses – 7% of the total staff – will come through voluntary redundancies and retirements, but the museum says some compulsory redundancies may be necessary. The London museum says … Continue reading “Visual: April 2002”
Thursday February 28 DON’T PICK ON THE ARTS: The Atlanta City Council, facing budget shortfalls, proposed cutting funding for arts groups. But after a spirited council meeting at which arts supporters rallied to speak against the cuts, funding restored almost to 2001 levels. Atlanta Journal-Constitution 02/27/02 LEARNING THROUGH POP CULTURE: Does “teaching” popular culture dumb … Continue reading “Issues: February 2002”
Thursday February 28 TATE PUTS TURNER ONLINE: “The Tate gallery, with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, opens online access to the entire Turner Bequest on Friday. The bequest was given to the nation after the painter’s death in 1851 and contains nearly 300 paintings and over 30,000 watercolours and drawings – normally kept … Continue reading “Visual: February 2002”
Wednesday February 27 DOES SCOTTISH TRAVEL? “Scottish theatre just doesn’t get the audiences or the accolades in London that it deserves. A few years back Stephen Daldry predicted that Scottish theatre was going to be next year’s Irish, like brown is supposed to be the new black. But it has never happened. The English have a … Continue reading “Theatre: February 2002”
FEBRUARY 2002 Thursday February 28 KEYS TO THE GRAMMYS: “Alicia Keys, the singer-songwriter and pianist, won five Grammys, including best new artist and song of the year for her soaring debut hit, Fallin, while the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? took the prized album of the year trophy for its survey of bluegrass, … Continue reading “Music: February 2002”
Thursday January 31 YA GOTTA BELIEVE IN IT, AT LEAST: The director of London’s Institute for Contemporary Art – a hotbed of conceptual art – has called for the sacking of the organization’s chairman of the board. A few weeks ago, chairman Ivan Massow derided current conceptual art and many of the artists who practice … Continue reading “Visual: January 2002”
Friday February 1 IT’S THE SERVICE CHARGE THAT GETS YOU: Another show on Broadway is joining The Producers in offering tickets for $240 a seat. But it’s not a musical – “the lead producer of The Crucible, said yesterday that 30 prime orchestra seats a night would be available at $240 apiece, a price that … Continue reading “Theatre: January 2002”
